I haven’t been to the theaters since July. Since movies are so expensive, I only go if I have a pretty good hunch that a certain film will be excellent. I had that hunch for Rian Johnson’s “Looper,” and I couldn’t have been more spot on.

Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is what’s called a “looper.” Thirty years into the future, time travel is finally possible, but its use has been outlawed. Only the highest caliber of criminal can time travel succesfully, and the ones who do utilize time travel to tie up loose ends by zapping a confused victim back 30 years, where they are immediately assassinated by a “looper.” The system works flawlessly, and “loopers” have an easy job and are paid graciously.However, their job requires the understanding that they too are loose ends, and eventually will be killed as well. The “looper’s” last kill is himself, shot back from the future. If one successfully kills his or her future self, they have another 30 years to live in riches until the mob they were working for tracks them down to finish the job. This is the life cycle of the looper.

Despite his violent lifestyle, Joe is living an ideal life until Old Joe (Bruce Willis) is zapped in front of him, and he is unable to do the job. Old Joe escapes, breaking the one rule of being a looper. What follows is the coolest time travel movie I’ve ever had the joy to see.The action in the film is refreshing and very well shot. I appreciated the slow motion clips in glorious high-definition, levitating objects, and the perfect amount of gunfire and blood, and I applaud the special effects team and the cinematographer for creating such a visually pleasing film.

Unlike some action movies, even the acting is well done. The cast is packed full of impressive A-list actors who all lived up to their expectations. Gordon-Levitt dominated the screen as Joe, and Emily Blunt performed well as a defensive mother with a nervous and insecure side. Paul Dano played Joe’s goofy best friend Seth, who still manages to be solemn when necessary. Given that Willis (of course) blasted his way through the movie, his acting was rarely relevant. All acting was done with ease, and the characters all seemed believable. The cast truly convinced me that a crime organization that used time travel was realistic idea.

The final package is the coolest sci-fi movie ever, excluding those that are  part of some massive franchise, such as Star Wars. “Looper” was original, well acted, and all done in an impressive two hour finish. I can only hope that there is something left in 2012 to top it. #